Fly Me to the Moon

This movie is NOT generic. At all. If the premise of faking the mood landing is not in this movie than yes it's a pretty generic rom com but because that's the entire movie I don't get how this is generic.

If you have a beating heart and sense of humor this movie will charm you. ScarJo is throwing 100 mph in every scene. She's outstanding. This is a signature performance in her catalog and really fleshes out what makes her 1 of 1. One down side is that Channing Tatum is very good in the movie but he's not on her level and I don't think anyone would argue that. Her scenes with Jim Rash (sneaky MVP) are all time great. They have some magic I hope they do more work together. I've always been found of his performance in Community and his screen play The Way Way Back.

The other surprise for me was how great Woody and ScarJo are together. That was the secret sauce of the movie. Not just their acting chemistry but the idea of a Nixon enforcer and fixer battling with this con artist type advertising saleswoman is beautiful stuff. It's really breathtaking to witness.

The other part of this movie that provides some fun for all ages is the stuff with the cat in the movie. This is such a cute and realistic use of a cat who just lingers around an area getting in the way just in the smallest way.

This film has nothing to say and there is no reason to exist. It's sort of a romcom but it's not very romantic. It's sort of a comedy but not really. It's kind of about a conspiracy theory but only slightly and even then not really. It pulls its punches, doesn't know what it is, and doesn't ultimately have any point to it. It's more amusing than actually funny. It has 2 characters that are meant to fall in love but you won't feel it. It feels like someone told ChatGPT to "make a generic movie" and it shoved all the ingredients together.

I got bored watching it. It's fun enough, it passes the time, but I also felt like I wanted to avoid watching films ever again if this is what they are going to be like.

Fly Me to the Moon is a lovely throwback to the kind of films that are so rarely seen these days. Even though a lot of the film revolves around filming a fake version of the Moon landing this clearly loves Nasa and their achievements. It's a fun romantic comedy that moves between all the drama, comedy, and romance in a way that can sustain a run time that's slightly overly long.

Scarlett Johansson & Channing Tatum are a surprisingly strong pairing. Even when they're at odds or have completely fallen out, their chemistry is strong enough to make you root for them to end up together like they inevitably will and they're both given a good amount of depth to work with. Woody Harrelson uses his easygoing charm to be slightly sinister here and Jim Rash is very funny in a very broad fashion.

Greg Berlanti's direction has a nice amount of energy for the most part. There's plenty of split screen and the period setting gives it a lot more life in the visuals than most streaming films. It's just the Moon landing sequence itself that needed greater showmanship to match the reverence with which it's celebrated. Daniel Pemberton's score has a warmth to it that keeps proceedings as tonally on point as possible.

So it was staged? Fly Me To The Moon is a sharp, stylish romantic comedy set against the high-stakes backdrop of NASA's historic Apollo 11 moon landing. Brought in to fix NASA's public image, sparks fly in all directions as marketing maven Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson) wreaks havoc on launch director Cole Davis's (Channing Tatum) already difficult task. When the White House deems the mission too important to fail, the countdown truly begins.

"Fly Me to the Moon" offers a fresh take on the Apollo 11 mission by focusing on its marketing aspect, a unique angle that I found quite intriguing. The film's fast pace kept me engaged throughout, which was a pleasant surprise. The cast delivered strong performances, with Scarlett Johansson standing out as incredibly witty and charming. While Channing Tatum's performance was solid, his character felt one-dimensional, making it hard to connect with him. The movie excels as a comedy, featuring well-crafted jokes and scenarios that the talented cast brings to life. Additionally, the unique choice of music added to the overall enjoyment of the film. The blend of historical context with a modern twist on marketing strategies was both educational and entertaining. Overall, "Fly Me to the Moon" is a must-watch for anyone looking for a good laugh and a new perspective on a well-known historical event.

Score:7.5/10.

I dithered over whether to watch this but we went for it and it was an enjoyable couple of hours in the cinema. There's no comparison between the two leads; Johanson is engaging and funny. Tatum is surely just a Thunderbird puppet both in looks and acting. Harrelson adds his own typically unique character to the role he plays. It was hilarious reading some reviewers complaining of the lack of historical accuracy. That's like complaining that Airplane doesn't accurately reflect what happens to an aircraft in emergency. The plot is described elsewhere and whilst it's a bit daft, I'm sure some people will take it a bit too seriously but go, watch it and enjoy an easy couple of hours.